Rope game



Dec. 15, 1959 c, u u-r 2,917,311

ROPE GAME Filed Aug. 28, 1957 I Fig.3

INVENTOR. M/chae/ 6t Yur/rur nga/ HAS A TTOR/VE Y5 .Stat s Patent I 2,917,311 ROPE GAME v lilichtiel C. Yurkut, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application augu tz's, 1957, Serial No. 680,875 11 (Cl. 27594100 The present invention fulfills the numerous prerequisites necessaryto insure thata, new and novel game'is both popularj and enjoyable. These prerequisites are! the gamemust be capable of being played by both children andnadults'ofboth sexes, which means that the game must require -only limited muscular exertion and strength; the game must be such that it necessitates a reasonable amount ofpractice to become proficient since if the game is easily mastered, the honor and prestige of winning in game competition is quickly lost; the game must have a scoring system inwhich it is extremely dif ficult to secure a perfect game since if this were otherwise, the challenge of the game would be quickly lost by the participants; the game must be such that a person may play" without opponents by constantly endeavoring to improve his own score; the game must be such that it may'befplayed either inside or outside the home; the game must be inexpensive yet rugged in construction; the game must be easy to transport from one playing area to another; and last, but not least, the game must be simple to play and score since complexity appeals to only a limited number of persons and the game ceases to be enjoyable and relaxing, as complexity increases.

The present invention fulfills all of the above prerequisites and appeals to all persons desiring achievement, leisure and relaxation. 1

In the drawings, I have illustrated a present preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the game;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a peg used in the game; and

Figure 3 is a cross section of the peg taken on line III-Ill of Figure 2.

Briefly, the present invention consists of a long rope having a loop in one end and a pair of pegs maintained in stationary spaced position in a playing area. A player in the game grasps the long rope at one end and the loop is placed over one of the pegs. Then the player, by proper manipulation of the rope, causes the loop to be propelled off one peg, through the air and onto the second peg. If the participant fails to encircle the peg upon his first attempt, he may try again to propel the loop through the air onto the peg. The second and subsequent attempts are made from the position which the eye assumed on the playing area after the previous attempt.

A pair of pegs 5 and 6 are positioned apart in spaced relationship. The pegs are preferably square, in cross section, of substantial height and have the upper edges chamfered at 7 and the upper surface roughened at 8.

Each peg is positioned in a circular base 9 by being inserted through a hole 10 in the center thereof, which has downwardly directed flanges 11 inside and below the hole, and connected thereto by screws 12 or any other well-known means.

The pegs 5 and 6 are spaced apart by a chain 13 which is attached to each of the bases 9 by a hook 14 affixed to the bases. The chain 13 has individual links painted at one foot intervals to indicate the distance between the pegs. The chain may be easily removed from the hook 14, the peg moved together or apart and the chain repositioned on the hooks. For example, if children are playing the game, it is desirable to maintain the pegs closer and thus the chain is shorter.

Furthermore, the chain 13 assists in avoiding tipping of the pegs 5 and 6 due to the rope striking against the The base 9 is fabricated from any desirable material such as metal, wood, etc., and is preferably sloped outwardly for reasons to be explained hereinafter.

The player 15 inthe game is provided with a long rope 16 having an eye or loop 17 aflixed to the end thereof. Preferably, the eye 17 is spliced directly into the rope at point 18 ratherthan tied. The reason for this splicing of the eye is to avoid slippage and variations in the size of the eye and to avoid a large bulk of rope at point 18 which would unbalance the eye during propulsion through the air. The rope is preferably a three-strand rope having an outside diameter of between /s" and HOW- ever, it is within the scope of the present invention to use a lighter or heavier rope to accommodate the physical attributes of the players.

Preferably, the rope is twenty feet long and has a two and one-half foot diameter eye in the end. The pegs are spaced from ten to twenty' feet apart, .the preferable distance being fifteen feet. When the. pegs are spaced about fifteen feet apart, the player stands at the apex of an isosceles triangle formed by the two pegs and the playerthe base of the isosceles triangle being the fifteen feet between the pegs and the sides being approximately twelve and one-halffeet. These have been found to be the preferred distances for engaging in the game.

To initiate the game, the player 15 is permitted to grasp the rope 16 at any desired point and the eye 17 is placed over one of the pegs 5 or 6. It has been found through experience that the most effective way to grasp the rope is with one hand on the end of the rope and the other hand a short distance up the rope. After allowing a slight amount of slack in the rope, the player motivates the rope by swinging the forward-most hand in a rotary upward movement in a path cutting across approximately the waist of the player. When this motion is sufficiently rapid, the eye 17 is flipped or rolled from the peg 5 and is propelled through the air into the proximity of the peg 6. The tops of the pegs are chamfered at 7 to permit easier access of the eye over the peg; however, the top of the peg is roughened at 8 so that any portion of the rope striking this roughened surface will be retained thereon. Points are not scored in the game unless the rope completely encircles the peg and is not hanging on the roughened surface 8.

The sloping upper surface of the base 9 is to assist the eye in being flipped from the base at the initiation of the game. This surface must be smooth to avoid any adhesion by the eye 17.

Although other modes of scoring may be adopted, the preferred mode consists of ten frames in which each player is permitted five throws or attempts with the rope in each frame. The scoring system consists of ten points if the eye is propelled from one of the pegs onto the other peg in a single throw; five points if the eye is propelled onto the other peg on the second throw; three points if it is propelled onto the other peg on the third throw; two points if it is propelled onto the other peg on the fourth throw; and one point if it is propelled onto the other peg on the fifth throw. However, this scormg sequence starts over whenever the eye completely encircles the desired peg. For example, assume a player begins a first frame and propels the eye 17 from the peg 5 and encircles the peg 6 on the first "throw."

Patented Dec. 15, 9-

This player receives ten points. However, the player has four remaining throws in which to score additional points. The eye 17 would now be encircling the peg 6 and the player 15 would swing the rope 16 to propel the eye in the direction of the peg 5. Assuming that theeye did not fall on the peg'5 but rather, fell a short distance ofi? from the base 9, the player 15 is permitted to again attempt to propel the eye onto the peg 5. During the throws, the player is permitted to-stand in any of the play area and can grasp the rope at any partthereof with the exception of grasping the eye. Assuming now that the player succeeds in encircling the pegon the third throw, he receives five additional points. Since:

the initial attempt onwhich theplayer scored ten points was successful, the scoring system s tarts over and, therefore, the player has succeeded in encircling peg 5 on his second throw since he lastiencircled the peg 6. Thus, the player receives five points even though this encircling of peg 5 was accomplished on the third throw since the beginning of the game. vThe player now has two throws remaining. in frame .1 and again attempts to propel the eye off from peg 5 andonto peg 6. If the player succeeds on the first try now, he will receive another ten points and has one remaining throw in which to propel the eye from peg 6 to peg 5. However, if the player fails in this try to propel the eye from peg 5 to peg 6, 'he has one remaining throw in which to complete this frame.

Thereafter, a second player enters the game and begins his five throws in frame 1.

It is readily apparent from the above description that any number of persons can participate in the game.

It is within the scope of the present invention to decorate the pegs in any desirable manner such as by painting, or to use phosphorescent paint on the pegs and the rope for playing the game at night.

A thorough consideration of this game readily points out that the invention fulfills all of the prerequisites stated in the initial paragraph of this application.

While I have described a present preferred embodiment of my invention, it may be otherwise embodied 'within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A game device comprising two vertical rigid pegs afiixed to separate bases spaced a substantial distance from each other on a fiat surface, each base being movable relative to the other base to permit variation in the distance between the pegs; adjustable connecting means between said bases to prevent tipping of the pegs while the game is being played; said'pegs being positioned at least ten feet apart; each of said bases having a central hole therein for admission of the pegs and means rigidly affixing the pegs to the bases; each of said bases sloping downwardly from the centrally disposed peg; a rope at least fifteen feet in length and having a large continuous eye in one end thereof, said eye being formed in a'rope by splicing and being 'at'least two feet in diameter; each of said pegs being polygonal, the 'upperedges of the pegs being chamfere'd and the top side being roughened; the other end of said rope being held by a'player' in thegame, the 'rope being of sufiicient weight and flexibility that when the player manipulates-said other endof the'rope with a rapid upward swinging motion, the eye is flipped through air to the proximity of one of the pegs.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,746 Bedingfeld Mar. 21, 1893 1,098,872 Akerberg June 2, 1914- 1,537,840 Lubman May 12, 1925 1,546,810 Streit July 21, 1925 1,602,565 Brown ..V.. Oct. 12, 192.6, 2,563,533 Knox Aug. 7, 1951 

